Establishment for state owned bank: I Ithala Bank an answer?

Loading player...
WHILE the battle for Ithala Bank to become a fully-fledged state-owned bank with a right to compete with the big five banks escalates, the KwaZulu-Natal parliament doubts Ithala would be able to acquire its permanent banking licence by the end of next month, which is the cut-off date.

The bank has been struggling for about 10 years to obtain a permanent banking licence and as a result, it had, up to now, been operating with a renewable Banking Licence Exemption Notice, which is renewable every 12 to 24 months. The temporary licence limits the activities of the bank, which was established by the then KZN government, leaving bigger banks to still control the sector.
30 Mar 2022 4AM English South Africa Business News · Investing

Other recent episodes

Global fashion, local impact and lessons from Valentino’s business legacy

The fashion world is marking the passing of Italian designer Valentino Garavani, the founder of the Valentino fashion house and one of the architects of modern luxury. Over decades, his work became closely associated with global fashion capitals and with retailers and luxury groups that helped take haute couture into…
20 Jan 3PM 22 min

Unpacking 2026 global soft power index

South Africa has dropped two places in the 2026 Global Soft Power Index, now coming in at 43rd overall. Nzinga Qunta and Jeremy Sampson, chairman, Brand Finance Africa, take a closer look at what this ranking means for South Africa, how we stack up against regional peers, and what needs…
20 Jan 3PM 17 min

IMF forecasts resilient 2026 growth driven by AI amid easing

The International Monetary Fund again edged its 2026 global growth forecast higher on Monday as businesses and economies adapt to U.S. tariffs that have eased in recent months and a continued AI investment boom that has fueled asset wealth and expectations of productivity gains. Andre Cilliers, Currency Strategist at Treasury…
20 Jan 3PM 9 min